Popular stereotypes of MBAs—the buttoned-down suit or ruthless CEO
portrayed in the movies—may be entertaining but are hardly real.
In fact, we know from years of experience is that there really is no such thing as a "typical" MBA.
With today’s global spread of the MBA degree and the wide variety of
business schools, there are millions of MBAs who represent different
nationalities and cultures, different career paths, and different
backgrounds. A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of
Education showed that MBAs studying in the United States were more
diverse than students in any other graduate program. So, who are MBAs?
Could you be one of them?
In general, MBA candidates have determined an MBA is likely to
further their personal and career goals and have found the right school
and program for them. And the admissions staff at their school has
decided that their experience, qualifications, and goals show a strong
possibility for success as MBA grads.
There’s no magic formula for the perfect undergraduate major, set of
academic achievements, pre-MBA work experience and extracurricular
accomplishments, essays, interviews, or references. Nor is there a
common career goal or industry in which they aspire to work. What MBAs
have in common is motivation, self-knowledge, realistic career goals,
and a desire to learn and grow.
Pre-MBA Work Experience
Talk to MBAs, and you're likely to meet one who has:
- Worked in investment banking (well, maybe two)
- Run a nonprofit company
- Worked in sales
- Worked as an engineer
- Been a policy analyst for a government organization
- Worked as a consultant
- Worked as a copywriter for an ad agency
- Designed websites
- Worked as a compensation analyst for a corporation
- Been an auditor
- Worked as a researcher or an economist
The MBA is right for all these people—as long as they show management
talent and a track record of performance in their pre-MBA work, the two
things employers look for in new MBA hires.
Academic Preparation
Because MBAs are such a diverse group, all college majors are acceptable preparation, with a few additional considerations:
- Not all schools have the same undergraduate priorities. Some may
favor technical undergraduates, while others may favor language majors
who are minimally bilingual. Still other schools want both.
- You will need certain quantitative and analytical preparation
for most programs, such as calculus, statistics, and economics. If you
did not take these courses in college, MBA programs may require you to
take some courses before you enroll, so you'll be ready to do well in
the core curriculum.
- Academic performance does matter, but how performance is judged
will vary from school to school. Some schools will give consideration to
difficult majors (such as engineering) or prioritize candidates from
particularly competitive schools. The combination of your academic
achievement over a period of time and your GMAT® score gives MBA
admissions staff a good sense of your academic preparation for the MBA.
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